Murder suspect skips bail, flees to NY

A Neshoba County woman indicted in the March 2023 murder of her boyfriend here at a residence off of Highway 16 West was arrested in New York state on a warrant after she skipped bail.

The woman, Stephanie M. Vance, 26, of Philadelphia was arrested on Jan. 11 by the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office in Poughkeepsie, New York.

Neshoba County Sheriff Eric Clark said he was in contact with the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office after it was discovered Vance was staying in that area. Clark said his office believes Vance may have had a connection with a relative there.

According to Capt. John Waterson with the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office, Vance was located in the Town of Pleasant Valley and taken into custody without incident.

At this time Vance has been charged in Dutchess County as a fugitive, and after being processed she was arraigned before the Town of Hyde Park Court and remanded to the Dutchess County Jail pending extradition proceedings.

Clark said Vance has refused to sign an extradition agreement and that his office is working with Neshoba County District Attorney Steven Kilgore to get a forced extradition to Neshoba County. Clark said it was a “lengthy process” and was not sure when she would be brought back to Neshoba County.

Vance was indicted here for the murder of Christopher Charles Bland on Dec. 14, 2023. Clark said she had been out on a $100,000 bond since September and failed to show up for a bond call on Dec. 20 after she was indicted. 

The indictment stems from a Friday, March 3 incident when officers responded to 11852 Highway 16 West for an emergency medical call, Clark said.

“The caller stated that she had discharged her handgun and shot her boyfriend,” Clark said at the time. “She stated the .9mm SCCY handgun went off while they were fighting.”  

Deputies and Neshoba EMS responded, Clark said. Vance was detained and Child Protection Services was contacted to assist and take custody of their 8-month-old child. 

The victim, Christopher Charles Bland, 35, who lived at the same address, was taken to Neshoba General and later flown by helicopter to the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson where he died the following day, according to Clark.

He said Vance was initially charged with aggravated domestic violence, but the charges were upgraded to first-degree murder after Bland’s death.